Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: DISGUISE (08/12/21)
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TITLE: Removing The Mask | Previous Challenge Entry
By Mariane Holbrook
08/16/21 -
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"That boy is going somewhere!" one man said to no one in particular. "NBA, make room for Jeremy!" yelled another. "Can you believe that kid?" asked the principal who was standing beside his athletic director.
Jeremy was indeed going somewhere. Jeremy finally accepted a full scholarship from the University of Alabama and wore his "Crimson Tide" jacket with pride through all four years, enjoying all the perks at his disposal.
After graduating from college with a degree in mathematics, Jeremy accepted a position with a prestigious company in Birmingham as a systems analyst. He climbed the corporate ladder with ease and after six years was invited to be a partner.
Jeremy had it all. A job, a beautiful wife, and the requisite two children. The problem was: Jeremy was not a happy man. He was bored with numbers, tired of his elder colleagues, and not at all excited about his future with the company.
One night, sitting with a friend in a bar, Jeremy glanced at the television installed high on the wall and watched a preacher pace back and forth across a platform, with an open Bible in his hand, preaching forcefully. The crowd was enthusiastic and responsive.
His friend remarked casually, "Jeremy, that's what you should be doing. Look at all the money those guys make! You've got a great personality, people love you, and with your success in the Toastmaster's Club, you're a commanding public speaker. You'll never be happy cooped up in an office in a high-rise. If you decide to do something like this, I'll be your business manager!"
Both men laughed aloud at the prospect but a seed was planted in Jeremy's mind. He toyed with the idea and soon began attending the mega-church in Birmingham that he had watched earlier on television.
Jeremy studied the pastor's preaching style, made notes about his appearance, his word choices, and his demeanor on the platform. Soon he joined the church, attended a weekly Bible study, and worked his way into the pastor's inner circle.
Finally, Jeremy was asked to speak at a men's breakfast where 250 men sat in awe of his delivery. He was good. And he knew it.
Other invitations arrived and soon Jeremy was speaking to various groups in Birmingham. He was interviewed on one of the television programs and featured in the Sunday edition of "The Birmingham News."
Jeremy resigned from his job to prepare for his first "Gospel Crusade." Televised on Birmingham's local ABC station, it propelled him quickly to other stadiums where thousands gathered to see this newcomer and watch in awe as hundreds were healed as he laid hands on them.
Buckets overflowed with cash and checks when the collection was taken. As promised, Jeremy's friend assumed the position of Business Manager, allowing them both to purchase palatial homes and luxury cars.
Jeremy's friend became a ghostwriter for Jeremy while books bearing Jeremy's name and visage appeared on the New York Times' Bestsellers List. Jeremy had arrived.
Suddenly, there was a problem. A young college student, at a Q& A session in Birmingham, asked Jeremy to comment on a report that Jeremy had been seen with another woman at a resort on the coast. Soon other students asked questions that caused Jeremy to squirm, stutter and become defensive.
When Jeremy arrived home that night, he received a call from an elder at the church he had been attending.
"Jeremy, have you ever been born again? Have you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life? If not, then you are, in effect, a wolf in sheep's clothing, preaching a gospel you have never experienced which makes you a fraud, a con man. May I come over and talk to you as your friend, something I should have done when I first met you?"
The two men talked way into the night, while Jeremy confessed his sins and was born again into the kingdom of God. He canceled his remaining stadium crusades, opened a business with his wife as a partner, and taught Sunday School in a small church outside Birmingham.
Gone were the masks, the disguises, the facades. In its place was a humble man of God willing to remain out of the spotlight and seek not the adoration of thousands but the approval of just one: Jesus Christ.
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